End the Illegal and Illegitimate Blockade of Cuba Now!
A Statement by Civil Society Organisations and Social Movements
Trinidad and Tobago.
On Wednesday, November 3rd, 2022 the United Nations General Assembly will be voting on a Resolution tabled by the Government of Cuba entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”. This will be the 30th year that such a Resolution will be voted upon by the UN. Since 1992 the majority of member states of the UN have supported the demand by Cuba that the US should end the blockade against Cuba. Since 2005 no fewer than 182 states have voted annually for the end of the blockade and in 2021 184 voted with Cuba, two – the US and Israel - voted against ending the blockade and three abstained. The entire world, except for the US and Israel, demands that the US end the 60 year illegal and illegitimate blockade against Cuba!
CARICOM countries, including Trinidad and Tobago, have consistently demanded the end of the blockade. They have done so at the UN and most recently told that directly to President Biden at the 9th Summit of the Americas held in Los Angeles in June of this year. We, the undersigned organizations representing very important civil society organizations and social movements, once again add our voices in loud condemnation of the criminal blockade by the United States against Cuba and demand that it be ended!
The blockade is illegal because it is a unilateral action by the US in violation of international laws, the UN Charter, and the norms of international relations, namely the non-interference by a state in the internal affairs of another state and the respect for the sovereignty of states. Not only does the US blockade violate Cuba’s rights as a sovereign state, it also illegally penalizes third states and companies and firms in third states as the US prevents others from engaging in economic, commercial, and financial transactions with Cuba.
The blockade is illegitimate given that all but two nations in the global community of the UN demand that the blockade should be ended. The Resolution tabled by Cuba in the General Assembly is supported by the Report of the UN Secretary General. One part of the SG’s Report provides the written position of UN member states on the Resolution. More than 140 states and 30 international organizations have put in writing their call for the ending of the US blockade. Yet the US government, which claims to be democratic and a respecter of the views of the international community refuses to accept that it has taken the side of wrong-doing.
The blockade is criminal because it has caused and is still causing great hardships for and even death of the Cuban people. In its Report on Resolution 75/289 which details developments since the last UN Resolution against the blockade was passed in June 2021, Cuba has stated that:
“At current prices, the accumulated damages over almost six decades of application of this policy (of the blockade) amounts to USD 150,410,800,000. Taking into account the depreciation of the dollar against the value of gold on the international market, the blockade has caused quantifiable damages of over USD 1,326,432,000,000.
During the first seven months of 2021 alone, the blockade caused losses to Cuba of about USD 2,557,500,000, which represents an average loss of over USD 365,000,000 a month and more than USD 12,000,000 a day and the relative decrease in the amount of losses provoked by the blockade between January and July 2021, in comparison with those recorded in the previous stage, are the total closure of borders as a result of COVID-19”.
It must be noted that the Covid 19 pandemic was raging in 2021, yet the US government refused to recognize the humanitarian crisis caused by its blockade preventing Cuba from accessing medical supplies including such basics as syringes and ventilators! In the face of this hostility, Cuba was able to develop its own vaccines against Covid and provide hundreds of health care professionals to other countries in a remarkable demonstration of resilience and solidarity.
The US in its blind and failed desire to use the blockade as a weapon to force regime change in Cuba, has instead caused shortages of food, medical supplies and other essentials needed by the Cuban people. This can only be described as a crime against humanity.
The blockade has been further intensified by the Trump era decision to identify and list, without a shred of evidence, Cuba as a country that engages in “state sponsored terrorism”. This has meant that other countries, companies and financial institutions that may engage in business with Cuba run the risk of themselves being penalized as being involved in sponsoring or financing international terrorism. This has adversely affected Cuba’s ability to enter into the simplest of trade and economic activities which all require financial payments by Cuba/Cuban companies to suppliers and/or international companies to make payments to Cuba/Cuban companies. This illegal act by the US was but one of 240 measures implemented by Executive Order during the Trump regime.
It must be recognized that it is the very United States that has not only engaged in, but been found guilty of supporting, financing and organizing terrorist acts against other states and peoples as evidenced by the CIA organized terrorist bombing of Cubana flight 455 in October 1973 that resulted in 76 persons, mostly young people, being killed when the plane exploded off the coast of Barbados.
We the undersigned civil society organizations and social movements demand that the Biden Administration:
- At a very minimum, rescind ALL the Trump era Executive Orders that tightened the blockade against Cuba; and,
- In particular, immediately remove Cuba from the so-called list of countries that engage in state sponsored terrorism, for which there is not a shred of evidence that points to Cuba being engaged in any such activities; and
- Move expeditiously to have the US Congress repeal all the laws that have been passed to create the blockade against Cuba.
End the illegal, illegitimate and criminal economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba now!
We are:
- Amalgamated Workers’ Union
- Assembly of Caribbean People (T&T Chapter)
- Association of Maxi Taxi of Trinidad and Tobago
- Banking Insurance and General Workers’ Union
- Communication Workers’ Union
- Contractors and General Workers’ Union
- Emancipation Support Committee
- Estate Police Association
- Fire Service Association
- Industrial General Sanitation Workers’ Union
- Movement for Social Justice
- Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union
- Postal Workers’ Union of Trinidad and Tobago
- Prison Officers Association
- Steel Workers’ Union of Trinidad and Tobago
- Trinidad and Tobago Friends of Cuba
- Trinidad and Tobago Registered Nurses Association
- Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association
- Women Working for Social Progress
November 1, 2022